Rangers in Seville: Memories of 1983, a win for the ages, clear unease despite club's messages

Since starting life as the snappily titled International Inter-City Industrial Fairs Cup, the competition now known simply as the Europa League has proved a consistently tricky trophy for Scottish clubs to attempt to lift.

As Rangers skipper James Tavernier may well discover tonight, the heaviest of all UEFA silverware has no handles for a start.

But that isn’t the only reason why Scottish clubs have struggled to hold a cup weighing as much as 15 kilograms aloft.

Despite the fact it was once regarded as a competition giving also-ran clubs an opportunity to compete in Europe, the Europa League – its present name dates back to 2009 – become an unwieldy, convoluted competition, where one is just as likely to encounter a big gun as an also ran. Indeed, also-rans are more than likely to be ejected in the qualifying rounds, providing they even get that far.

Even by 1987, when Dundee United came so close to winning the trophy – then called the Uefa Cup – against IFK Gothenburg, having already eliminated Barcelona and Borussia Monchengladbach en route, the competition had risen in status to become Europe's second most important tournament, behind the European Cup.

By the time Celtic fell by the odd goal in five against Porto in 2003 the two-legged format, which saw United lose 2-1 on aggregate against Gothenburg, had changed to a one-off final. Although this granted an appropriate climax, it made things potentially more awkward.

The same applied in 2008, when Rangers lost 2-0 to Zenit St Petersburg having doggedly prevailed through a succession of two-legged ties.

The recent abolishment of the away goals rule means teams are more practiced at winning on the night. Even if it is via the disagreeable method of penalties, this is